Door handles for motor vehicles are generally old and well-known and, in their most common conventional form, comprise strap-style handles protruding outwardly from the exterior surface of the door. Typically, these handles are mechanically coupled to a latch mechanism disposed within the door and operative to securely latch the door in a closed condition. Upon actuation of the handle by a user, the latch mechanism is released to permit the door to be opened.
More recently, electromechanical mechanisms have been introduced to effect both locking and unlocking of the door latch, as well as actuation of the latch mechanism upon user actuation of the handle. With respect to locking and unlocking of the door latch, user-carried remote controls (typically in the form of a “key fob” remote) can passively or actively broadcast one or more signals that are detected by the vehicle and cause, via the vehicle's on-board computer, the latch mechanism to be locked or unlocked. With respect to actuation of the latch mechanism itself, the operative connection between the handle and the latch may be electrical, such that user actuation of the handle generates a signal which effects operation of the latch mechanism—e.g., through a servo-motor. These electromechanical latch-release assemblies have resulted in the introduction of various means for generating the signal to effect operation of the latch mechanism, including touch sensors, pressure sensors, switches, etc. By disposing such electronics at the exterior surface of the vehicle door, they are exposed to the elements and more prone to damage and accelerated degradation.
Still more recently, there have been introduced pop-up handles characterized by the fact that the user-actuatable handle portion is disposed substantially flush against the exterior surface of the vehicle door until, via remote-control signal, the handle is moved by a motorized mechanism to a deployed position in which a user can actuate the handle to unlatch and open the vehicle door. Pop-up handle mechanisms are somewhat complicated in their construction, are subject to blockage by ice build-up in colder climates and, moreover, must meet significant strength requirements.